Trials of the Heart
by Liquidation
Summary: She was there at the very beginning, but will she stay until the very end?


It was a late rainy night in 1936 when he first met her. It was nearing the end of the summer and the storms had become a regular occurrence. Tom had been up since dinner, reading one of the many books he had borrowed from the library in his room, when he heard a loud bang from the main floor. Looking over at the cracked clock on his nightstand, he knew that it was a little past midnight. Not too long later, he could hear sets of feet coming up the creaky orphanage staircase. Quietly, he tiptoed to his door and pressed his ear against it.

"Here you go, Darling. I know it's not much, but it will have to do. You were lucky enough to catch our last room here, what with the war and all. Never mind that though, there are some dry clothes in the wardrobe and a bathroom down the hall if you wish to wash up. You best get some rest now. I can imagine that you've had a long day," he heard the matron, Mrs. Cole, whisper quickly, as not to wake any of the other children.

As soon as he heard her footsteps retreat back down the stairs, he silently opened his door and crept over to the once vacant room across the hall from his. Upon opening the door, he was immediately taken back. A young girl about his age stood in the middle of the room, soaking wet from the pouring rain. Her golden brown hair, though wet, still glowed in the faint moonlight, forming a halo around her small, soft face. Her lips and cheeks held a desirable rosiness to them and she had large, light brown eyes that shone with innocent curiosity and yet, there was a shocking boldness to them. But it wasn't her appearance that startled him. It was the pulse of familiarity. The moment they made eye contact, they knew what the other was. They were one in the same, yet polar opposites.

"Hello, I'm Tom Riddle," Tom greeted warily, being the first to regain his wits.

"I-Isabel Grimm," she replied. She shivered, remembering that she was soaked to the bone and the orphanage spared no heat.

"You should take a bath and change into warmer attire before you catch a cold."

She didn't need to be told twice and she quickly gathered her things before hurrying down the hall. He sat on her bed and waited for her after making a brief trip to his room to retrieve his book. Tom had lost track of time, but he had finished six more chapters when Elizabeth resurfaced, wearing a thin, white nightgown the girls of the orphanage had all been given.

"You're still here?" she questioned, her voice more clear and firm now.

"As you can see."

She clambered onto the bed beside him, her legs curled up to her chest, and they sat in silence for a few moments as he continued to read his book and she became lost in thought. She eventually chanced a look at him, her eyes filled with curiosity and confusion. She took in his dark hair that was immaculately swept right above his brow, his pale, porcelain complexion, and his perfectly sculptured, aristocratic features. What had thrown her off when she first laid eyes on him was the intense darkness of his eyes. They were deep, consuming, voids whose depths were unfathomable and unreadable and that scared her a little.

"You're different," she murmured more to herself than him. She impulsively reached for his hand and squeezed it. At the sudden contact, Tom's first reaction was to pull away, but she held his hand firmly. "Can you feel it?" she asked with an enthusiastic smile. He didn't react but he knew what she had meant. Their powers pulsed and flourished at the contact. "I used to think I was the only one."

He looked over to her and offered her a small, rare smile. "You're not alone."

xXx

They sat in their usual spot outside under the large oak tree. Tom was reading a new volume he had recently acquired while Isabel idly manipulated the falling red and gold leaves. In less than a week of her stay at Wool's Orphanage, she and Tom had grown 'distastefully close' as Mrs. Cole put it and within the first three months, they were practically conjoined at the hip, much to Mrs. Cole's dismay. Mrs. Cole had a particular soft spot for Isabel and had always tried to convince her to play with the other children, though Isabel had always readily defied those wishes. She didn't really like the other children in the orphanage. They seemed friendly enough at first, but with her excessive time with Tom and the weird occurrences that happened around her, they soon learned to steer clear of her. Now, her days mostly consisted of lounging outside, occasionally coaxing Tom to sneak out and explore London with her, and reading – a habit in which Tom had rubbed off on her.

"Tom?" Isabel asked, looking thoughtfully at the dancing leaves.

"Yes?"

"Do you suppose that there are more people like us? That there is another world out there waiting for us?"

"Perhaps, but if there is, how come nobody has ever taken us away from here? Surely, they wouldn't want us to suffer here with people who are so different from us."

She looked back up and frowned. "I suppose you're right. Never mind, it was a stupid question."

Tom looked up now and put down his book. "Isabel…"

Tom was interrupted by a small stone that nearly missed their heads. Dennis Bishop and Amy Benson stood a seemingly safe ten meters away, wearing malicious grins.

"Well if it isn't the freaks," Amy taunted mercilessly.

Isabel was about to confront them, but Tom held her shoulder so she couldn't move.

"Do you know what they used to call wierdos like them, Amy?" Dennis asked with a smirk. "Witches and do you know what they did to witches?"

"Stone them."

They both scooped up a handful of small stones and proceeded to hurl them at Tom and Isabel, though every stone they threw seemed to deviate from its original target. Having enough, Tom finally stood, still commanding that Isabel sit down.

"Actually," Tom started, fixing his dark eyes on the duo. He inwardly smirked at the pang of fear he saw in their eyes. "They burned them."

In that instant, the falling leaves that were surrounding them burst into flames. Amy let out a shrill shriek and Dennis quickly grabbed her wrist and ran.

"Let's get out of here! They really are evil witches!"

Once they had turned to run, the leaves turned back to their natural state and Tom had resumed his previous position.

"You shouldn't have done that. Now they will tell Mrs. Cole about us."

Tom snorted incredulously as he continued reading. "No one will believe them."

xXx

Winter had just past, much to Isabel and Tom's relief. The orphanage didn't have the funds to produce a sufficient amount of heat and the their thin clothes and blankets didn't help much either. Mostly, they spent their days reading in Tom's room, using the vast amount of candles they stole from the orphanage supply to keep the small room warm, though on occasion, Isabel would convince Tom to sneak out with her to take walks in the park and ice-skate.

Now that spring had finally set in, the typical London rain had started up again. That night, it was particularly stormy and thunderclouds lurched over London. It was around midnight when Tom was awakened by the creak of his door. Sitting up, he saw a rather distraught Isabel standing in the doorway.

"Isabel? What are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"I-I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?"

He hesitated, but now that his eyes began to adjust, he saw that her cheeks were tearstained and her bottom lip was quivering from the after effects of her nightmare. He gave an exasperated sigh before scooting over in his bed to make room and she quickly joined him before he changed his mind. He didn't voice it, but he didn't mind her curling up into him. He found a kind of comfort in the warmth that she radiated.

"What was your nightmare about?" he asked tentatively.

"I dreamt of my mama. The night I came here… it was like this. It was storming. My mama and I were at home. I was sleeping in her bed because I'm scared of storms. I was sleeping when I heard a scream from downstairs. I knew it was my mother, as she wasn't sleeping beside me. I ran downstairs, not thinking of the danger it could have posed to me, but I didn't care at the moment. I saw two men standing in the doorway of our home, pointing a gun at her. She screamed for me to run and then… then they killed her. Then they came after me, but I escaped using my powers. I'm not even sure how I did it, but I ended up in the middle of a London street when somebody found me." She clutched at Tom's shirt and he felt her tears seep into his shoulder, but he allowed her to continue. "We didn't have anyone to protect us because papa had to leave to be a doctor in the army. He's still out there somewhere and I want him back. I want him to take me home," she sobbed.

Tom stiffened at the thought of her father taking her away. He didn't want to be alone again to suffer in this hellhole. He sighed and decided to push that thought aside.

"What are they like, your parents?" he asked, unconsciously shifting closer to her.

She smiled a little as memories of her parents came to her. "Mama was soft, warm, and kind. She was very beautiful too and she often sang to me. Papa has always said that I looked a lot like her. Papa played the violin and loved to read and he often read me fairytales in the study or before bed. We used to go to the beach and build sandcastles and collect seashells in the summer and in the winter we would go ice-skating. They had always known I was different than others, but they didn't treat me like the people here treat me. Now with mama and papa gone, I feel like I have no one."

"You have me," Tom said immediately, looking into her brown eyes.

She offered him a small smile and squeezed his hand. "What were your parents like?"

He frowned as he remembered what Mrs. Cole had once said. "My mother was dying on the streets when she was pregnant with me. She gave birth to me here and only lived long enough to name me. Tom for my father, Marvolo for her father, and Riddle, which was my father's last name. I don't even know her name or what she was like. I'm not sure if my father is dead, alive, or even knows of my existence. According to Mrs. Cole, I apparently took after my father as I look nothing like my mother. Ironic isn't it? That I share the same name and face with a man whom I have never known?"

He wanted to be bitter and angry. He wanted to curse his parents for leaving him in this godforsaken orphanage, but he lost all of that hatred when he felt Isabel's arms wrap around him tightly, her head resting in the crook of his neck. "Would you like to meet my parents?"

Isabel reached into her gown and pulled out a locket hanging off of a delicate chain. Opening it, she revealed a black and white photograph of her parents. A younger Isabel sat in the arms of her mother, staring into the camera with the same curious expression. Her mother was very beautiful, her light eyes gazing into the camera, her happiness forever instilled in the photo. Her father was a tall, angular man with dark hair, strong, sharp features, and impeccable posture. Despite his appearance, his eyes shone with youth and kindness. Studying the pictures, he silently agreed that she indeed took after her mother. They had the same soft golden brown curls and features, but she had her father's expressive eyes.

"They would like you," Isabel said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Maybe if my papa comes back from the war, he'll take us both away from here."

Like many times before, she had him lost for words.

xXx

The storms had subsided and spring was coming to an end. It was a warm, late April afternoon and Isabel sat in her room, reading as she waited for Tom to return with lunch. She had been entirely lost in her book when she heard the door open.

"Tom I didn't expect you back so soon," she said before looking up. Her eyes widened as she saw a boy by the name of Billy Stubbs standing in the doorway, clutching his pet rabbit. From what she knew, he was a shy boy who rarely engaged in activities with the other children and often preferred to sit out on the sidelines. He seemed pleasant enough though. He sometimes offered her a small smile when they passed each other in the hall and didn't seem afraid of her like the other children were. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were Tom."

"I-It's okay," he stammered shyly. "May I come in?"

Isabel didn't have any friends in the orphanage besides Tom, so she readily agreed. As they talked, Billy became more open and comfortable around Isabel and even let her hold his rabbit.

"… and then, he fell into the pond and was completely soaked!" Billy exclaimed as he animatedly told his story.

Isabel threw her head back and laughed as she held her sides. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this much. Tom understood her in a way nobody else would, but Billy was able to make her feel relaxed and carefree. Wiping her tears, she gave him a brilliant smile. "How come you never talked to me before? We could have been friends a long time ago."

His smile faltered and he looked down once more at his rabbit. "Honestly, I was scared. We're not blind or stupid. The others and I can tell that you two are different from us."

"So you were scared of me?" Isabel murmured, backing away from him distrustfully.

"No! I wasn't scared of you. You're very funny and pretty." The both of them blushed at his choice of words, but he continued. "You're nothing like Tom. Tom is dark, sinister, and… there's just something quite not right with him. He's done a lot of bad things. It's Riddle whom I'm afraid of."

"As you should be," a voice drawled. Both of their heads snapped towards the door where Tom was standing, drinking in the scene. He entered the room and placed the tray of sandwiches on the table. "I didn't know we were expecting company. I would have brought more food," he said nonchalantly, but it only sent a chill down both Billy's and Isabel's spine. He sat regally in the chair in front of the bed and studied the two silent children. Isabel stared at him warily; his eyes were as dark and unreadable as ever. "Feel free to continue. I didn't mean to intrude."

"I-I probably should go. I didn't mean to interrupt you two," Billy said, standing up to leave.

"You don't have to leave," Isabel quickly interjected, catching his arm.

"I actually have some chores to do. I promised Mrs. Cole I would help weed the garden. Maybe we can talk tomorrow?"

She gave him a small smile and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm looking forward to it."

In that moment, Tom saw red. He wanted nothing more than for Billy Stubbs to fall down dead. "That's a rather handsome rabbit you have there, Stubbs. I'm sure you take good care of it. May I see it?"

He shifted uncomfortably under Tom's penetrating stare and clutched his rabbit tighter. "U-uh, maybe another time. I really should be going."

"Yes you should."

As soon as the door shut, Isabel turned on him. "What was that all about?"

Tom shrugged innocently and took a bite of his sandwich. "What do you mean?"

"Just leave him alone, Tom," she sighed, knowing he wouldn't give in and joined him.

xXx

"Tom how could you?" Isabel shrieked, on the verge of tears.

He continued to read his book as if there was nothing wrong. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know you're the one who hanged Billy's rabbit from the rafters. No one besides us could have done that and let's face it, you've always hated Billy. Now he won't even talk to me. He only looks at me the way the others do; with fear and hate!" She burst into tears at this. "You've ruined everything!"

"Then he wasn't really a true friend if he so readily threw away your friendship."

"That's not the point! Why do you always scare others away from me? The others hate me because they hate you! I hate you Tom Riddle!" With that, she ran from his room, slamming the door behind her.

Tom sighed and looked over at the closed door. Of course, he had no intention of apologizing. Billy Stubbs had it coming and he served a just example for the others. He wouldn't allow Isabel to be taken away from him. He refused to be alone again. He knew that she didn't hate him, she couldn't even comprehend what real hate was, and she would come running back to him on her own free will eventually. Just like him, she couldn't stand to be alone. All he had to do was wait.

xXx

It had been a week since the incident with Billy's rabbit and Isabel and Tom's fight. Ever since, Isabel had skipped meals to avoid both the stares of the other children and Tom's indifference, taking to sneaking food at night or in between meals. She knew Mrs. Cole wouldn't be too upset with her. At least she wasn't around Riddle. During the day, she took to hiding in her room or sneaking out into London to get away from the orphanage. She had never felt so suffocated in her life and only wished that the war would soon end and her father would return for her.

One late evening after dinner, Isabel was sneaking some left over food to her room as usual. She had gotten to the top of the staircase when she encountered Dennis Bishop and Amy Benson.

"No one to save you now that Riddle's not around," Amy harassed and painfully pulled on one of her curls.

Isabel readily slapped her hand away and glared at them defiantly. "I'm not in the mood to bother with you."

"Oh ho, still acting all high and mighty I see? Tell us, what really happened to Billy's rabbit?" Isabel opened her mouth, but only ended up resembling a fish out of water, not being able to find the words. "I knew it!" Amy accused viscously. "They killed Billy's rabbit using their evil powers!"

"I would never hurt or kill anything or anyone!"

"She practically confessed to the act. Look at the guilt in her face!" Dennis stated, jabbing his finger at her.

"I didn't do anything! I would never…"

"Liar! Only you and Riddle could hang Billy's rabbit from the rafters and everybody knows it. You're disgusting and evil. Why should we believe you?"

"You're the devil's spawn!"

"You and Tom are freaks and don't belong here. You both should just fall over and die."

"Take that back!" Isabel demanded angrily, shoving Amy back.

Amy's face contorted with revulsion and rage. "Don't touch me! You deserve to die!"

With that, Amy gave Isabel and forceful shove. She stumbled backwards, unable to regain her footing before plummeting down the steep, rickety stairs.

Tom had just returned from his usual spot outside, as it was getting too dark to read. It wasn't like he could read anyways. His thoughts always seemed to wander back to Isabel and the fight that they had. His pride would never allow him to apologize and ask for her forgiveness, but he was missing her more than he would ever acknowledge. As soon as he entered the orphanage, he heard screaming.

"You're the devil's spawn!" he distinctly heard Dennis's voice accuse.

"You and Tom are freaks and don't belong here. You both should just fall over and die." At that, Tom knew exactly to whom they were talking to and he felt a searing anger well up in his chest. How dare they? He continued towards the voices, thinking of ways to torture the two bullies.

"Take that back!" Isabel's voice rang out.

"Don't touch me! You deserve to die!"

When he heard the loud banging, he broke out into a run. His mind went blank when he got to the staircase. There at the bottom, Isabel lay lifeless, covered in a continuously growing puddle of blood, her arm bent in an unnatural position. He felt as if he had been punched in the gut, as he was unable to breathe or move as he stared at her pale, unmoving body. Suddenly, a blinding rage filled him and his eyes shot up at the two culprits at the top of the staircase who also seemed frozen at the spot. Their faces shone with fear and they quickly ran to their rooms to temporarily avoid the wrath of Tom Riddle.

xXx

Isabel groggily awoke, staring at the white ceiling of her bedroom. She wondered why she was in her room when she pointedly didn't remember ever going to sleep. Then, the events of the previous night washed over her. She was covered in cuts and bruises and her arm was now in a cast. What surprised her most was to see a familiar dark haired boy sitting beside her bed, carefully watching her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked cautiously.

"A-Alright I suppose," she stammered, looking away from him. She winced as a pain shot up her arm. Now that she was awake, the pain was setting in.

"I missed you."

Isabel was startled by this, but it didn't melt her resolve. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I missed you too," she admitted. "But that doesn't mean I'm still not upset with you."

"Is this still about Stubb's stupid rabbit?"

"Yes!" she shouted exasperatedly, causing another jolt of pain to shoot up her arm.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to keep her from too much movement. "It won't happen again, now will you look at me?" She hesitated, but chanced a look at him. His dark eyes were as unreadable as ever.

"I haven't forgiven you yet," she stated quietly. "Promise me you'll never hurt someone like that again."

"I promise," he readily agreed. It was the start of the promises that he would never be able to keep.

xXx

It was a warm summer afternoon and Mrs. Cole decided to take the children out to the beach as they had been cooped up in the orphanage for the past year. She figured they could use the fresh air. Tom and Isabel walked hand in hand as usual, wearing their hand-me-down swimsuits. Isabel's wounds had healed almost immediately after the incident with Amy and Dennis, and though her arm healed at an unusually fast rate, her arm was still in a cast. As Tom and Isabel walked down the sandy stretch, Isabel would occasionally pick up a seashell.

"Didn't you say your parents used to take you to the beach?" Tom asked.

"Yeah," she murmured, smiling at a distant memory. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Tom's eyes follow Amy and Dennis to a nearby cave.

"Why don't we collect some shells by those rocks? I'm sure there are plenty of shells that get washed up into the tide pools."

Isabel's eyes lit up at this. "Great idea! Let's go." Tom trailed behind her as he studied his surroundings. The other mindless children were playing in the ocean or in the sand and Mrs. Cole was too distracted to notice them drift from the group. "Tom look!" Isabel called out, pointing down a rocky ledge towards a small pink conch. "Isn't it beautiful? I'm going to get it, I'll be right back!"

Tom smirked inwardly. He couldn't believe his luck. The drop wasn't too dangerous, nothing she couldn't handle and with her arm cast, it would take at least fifteen minutes for her to retrieve her prize.

"I'll wait right here for you," he assured her.

As soon as she disappeared down the slope, he started for the cave, unable to suppress his wicked grin. He had been waiting for this for way to long.

Sure enough, when Isabel clambered up the rock slope, conch in her mouth, Tom sat there waiting for her, a small smile played on his lips.

"Come on, let's head back. You might fall and break your arm again," he teased lightly.

She gave him a wry smile but they made their way back to the others. Soon, the sun began to set and it was time to leave. It didn't take long for Mrs. Cole to notice Amy and Dennis had disappeared and many adults on the beach had joined her on the frantic search for the two children. At about dusk, they found the two huddled together in a cave, scared into silence. They were never the same again. Of course, Mrs. Cole had immediately questioned Tom, but Isabel jumped to his defense, saying that he was with her the entire time. Tom, on the other hand, fell asleep that night with a satisfied smirk.

* * *

**So that pretty much sums up their childhood together. Now let's bring in some Hogwarts!**

**What house do you think Isabel will be in?**

**Read and Review**


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